Mean Girls Movie Review

I know this movie came out years ago (8 years ago, in fact), but I just got around to seeing Mean Girls for the first time last night. I was into my craft project and it came on tv, and  even though it's not my usual sort of movie, I got hooked when the main character explained that she had been homeschooled.

So as a homeschooling parent, I was interested to see how the mainstream movie making industry approached the topic.

Things I loved about this movie:
1. Homeschooling stereotypes like extreme nerds and religious zealots were addressed in an amusing way.
2. Homeschooling alternatives to the "school at home" were shown (i.e. homescooled due to living abroad).
3. When the daughter had a hard time at school, the parents did not automatically pull her out of school, even though returning to homeschooling was mentioned as an option.
4. The romantic lead wasn't into fake girls, he wanted a real girl (a la Sixteen Candles).
5. The movie made cute nods to Heathers.
6. It was nice seeing Lindsay Lohan back when she was cute and sweet and not pyscho drug slut.
7. The teachers and parents were portrayed as real human beings with all their faults and their talents.
8. Kevin's card stating that he was a "math enthusiast" was the freaking bomb.
9. The scenes comparing teenagers to African wildlife were hilarious (and true).
10. Cady's description of her first days in school, and how she was not used to being in an environment where the adults didn't fully trust her, was insightful.

Things I hated about this movie:
1. Cady was sent to public high school upon moving back to the states to be "socialized." This is such a silly pervasive myth about homeschoolers.
2. Ok, I got nothing else. I loved this movie.